November 2024 - “Thankful for Audiophile Community”
The Spatial Team, November 15, 2024The year has flown by but the work doesn’t stop at Spatial Audio Lab. Our customers have kept us busy and we are thankful for their enthusiasm. We have a new speaker (S4) that has been almost 2 years in development including some custom designed parts that give us the confidence to say this is truly a unique speaker with an unbeatable sound. The Raven preamplifier has been very well received and we have established a rolling pre-order/build cycle about every 10 weeks. This allows us to place orders with our suppliers that have a 6-8 week lead time and not overextend our ability to manufacture and meet order demand. We have a new partner relationship with a remarkable tube manufacturer. Ray Tubes has an exceptional reputation for quality and customer service. Finally, we have a music recommendation that came to me recently that I have been enjoying. I hope you will, too.
New Speaker - S4 Open Baffle Speaker
Our latest speaker is a tribute to the legacy M4, one of Clayton’s most popular designs. We finally found what we believe to be a worthy successor by combining a new wide-dispersion textile dome tweeter with two 12 inch woofers in a 2-way design. Sensitivity is 90dB with a linear 4 ohm impedance designed for tube amplification. Frequency range is 30Hz - 35kHz. Recommended for amplifiers with at least 25wpc. This is the big brother to the S6 and is our most versatile speaker with ideal listening positions 6-10 feet from the speaker. Priced at $5,900, this speaker will work well in just about any room. (55 lbs; 43” tall, 15.5” wide, 12” depth)
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Partnership with Ray Tubes
We are excited to announce our partnership with Ray Tubes which is a manufacturer of high quality, high-performance vacuum tubes. Specifically, their RESERVE line of 6SN7 tubes in the Raven preamplifier has thoroughly impressed us with their transparency and neutral sonic characteristics. In addition, Ray Tubes provides our customers with a full 12-month warranty against manufacturing defects.
Q: How do Ray Tubes fit into the line of options available for the Raven preamplifier and Blackbird monoblocks?
A: We believe the 6SN7 Reserve tube is slightly more transparent than the Linlai Global Elite E-6SN7 that we also offer. The standard Shuguang 6SN7 is still a favorite for warmth and for pairing with speakers that may be “bright”.
Q: How can I order a set of Ray Tubes?
A: When placing an order, simply request the Reserve 6SN7 tubes in place of the standard Shuguang tubes. Or, you can go directly to the Accessories page on our website to order spares of any of the tubes that are used in the Revelation family of amplification products.
Q: What about other tube models from Ray Tubes?
A: We are only offering Ray Tube models that match with the Raven and Blackbird. At this time, we have only evaluated the 6SN7 in the Raven.
Q: What about tubes for the Blackbird monoblock amplifiers?
A: We are working with Ray Tubes to obtain a fully matched production set of Reserve KT88, 300B and 6SN7 tubes for testing. Based on our experience with the 6SN7 in the Raven, we have high expectations. But, we won’t know until we hear them. Stand by…
Audio Shows - Where to see Spatial Audio Lab in 2025
Plan your trip to Dallas next Spring for the Southwest Audio Fest (SWAF)! March 21-23 at the Hilton Anatole. Spatial Audio Lab will be there with the full set of Revelation amplification and open baffle speakers for your listening enjoyment. We are working with other partners to fill out the rest of the sound system. Don Sachs is planning to be there as well for anyone interested in talking with one of the designers of the Revelation.
Music - For those of you looking for new music, I was recently introduced to the music of Sophie Zelmani and I am now a big fan. The “Live In China” album is a favorite. It reminds me a bit of Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris.
Thanks again for your support. We hope you all have a wonderful holiday season with friends and family.
David Whitt, General Manager